Sharing from overseas interns

Gigi Sun, HKU

Jiaxin Centre, Yunnan, 2018

In 2004, World Vision helped establish the Jiaxin Centre, a non-profit organization that cares for and strives to help children who are either already or close to living on the streets. During my two-month stay there, I slowly built up relationships with the children. They often found it difficult to trust others, probably because of their past experiences. Therefore, the best way to touch and bond with these children is being understanding and real. When I share about what I experienced in these two months with others, some people would be envious, while others would say I was looking for trouble for myself. Whenever I come across the latter response, I’d just smile and say no further. But for me, the firsthand information that I got to experience, feel and understand is always the most authentic and certain. I do not have think I was looking for trouble at all, because what I have gained far outweighs the trivial limitations in daily life. I have earned so much more than what those who never get out of their comfort zone can ever fathom.

Tina Chau, CUHK

Xieshou Centre, Yunnan, 2018

The work during this internship was tougher than I had expected, but I was fortunate enough to build friendships with the local children. Children tend to be more direct in expressing their affection for the people they trust, so during the ten days of activities, in addition to running the events, I was taking time out from my breaks to get to know them better. I got to have a chat with the principal during the activities, and he told me, “I have heard the children calling your name many times. It seems that they really like you, and you are doing a great job.” It was a simple compliment, but it made me really happy. I was also fortunate to meet my fellow intern. We shared the same passion for the core values of child education, and it was really nice that he was there to keep me company while working overtime, because I know there was someone who would give the best to the children just like I would. If I have to think of one meaningful that I did in the summer of my third year in university, the answer would definitely be this internship.

Simon Cheung, HKUST

Duchang ADP, Jiangxi, 2015

Through visiting different villages and meeting with local government officials, villagers and children, I have come to understand how World Vision improves the local education, sanitation and economy. I have also seen that the donations from Child Sponsorship are indeed invested in the communities of the sponsored children. The way World Vision works with the locals in different phases of the projects, from planning to execution, is something that I very much admire, because this has made the projects more effective in meeting the needs of the community. I never thought I would be this happy living in a basic rural village, not to mention bonding so well with the children. I have learnt so much during the internship and understood that it is really better to give than to receive. I will definitely be more active in social matter in the future and influence others to make the world a better place together.

Christy So, HKU

Xiangzhou ADP, Guangxi, 2015

Time flew by in the two months of my internship. I tried a lot of new things, such as going on field trips to gather information, visiting children and meeting project managers and officers. In the various activities and work, I discovered that the poverty I had imagined was so different from the reality. People living in rural areas actually lead a positive, simple and happy life. They even taught me a few things that I as a city-dweller had never thought of. We also met a lot of locals, and through our conversations, I found out that mainlanders were not as difficult to mingle with as I had believed. After this invaluable experience, I have learnt to cherish what I have, and I hope to be involved in similar poverty alleviation work in the future.

Published on 31 Dec 2018